1. Field of the Invention
The present relates to a film autoloader that separates one photographic film from a plurality of photographic films loaded in a film loading section and supplies the separated film to a reading transport path of an image reading apparatus for reading the images recorded on a photographic film, as well as to an image reading apparatus that transports a photographic film along a reading transport path to a prescribed reading position and reads the images recorded on it at the reading position.
2. Description of the Related Art
Among digital image reading apparatuses for photographic film (hereinafter referred to simply as “image reading apparatuses”) are ones that read the images recorded on a photographic film with a line scanner such as a CCD line sensor while transporting the photographic film at a prescribed reading speed. In such image reading apparatuses, pre-scanning is performed in which the images of a photographic film are read with a line scanner at a relatively low resolution while the photographic film is transported in one direction along a reading transport path with transport rollers, for example, whereby the size, dynamic range, etc. of the images recorded on the photographic film are checked. Then, fine scanning is performed in which the images of the photographic film are read at a high resolution based on the data obtained by the pre-scanning while the photographic film is transported in the reverse direction. The photographic film that has been subjected to the fine scanning is fed to a film output path and ejected to a film accepting section via the film output path. The film accepting section is provided with, for example, a film catch mechanism for bundling long photographic films in layers.
Among the image reading apparatuses of the above type are ones that are equipped with an option unit called a film autoloader to facilitate an operator's work of supplying a photographic film to the image reading apparatus. The autoloader is provided with a film loading section that can be loaded with a number of (e.g., 20) photographic films that are bundled in layers. Operating in link with a reading operation of the image reading apparatus, the film autoloader repeats, until no photographic film remains in the film loading section, an operation of separating one photographic film from a number of photographic films loaded in the film loading section and supplying the separated photographic film to the reading transport path of the image reading apparatus with prescribed timing. The film autoloader makes it unnecessary for an operator to manually supply a number of photographic films one by one to the reading transport path during image reading once he loads those into the film loading section in advance.
However, in large-scale processing laboratories, to performing development processing continuously at high speed, a number of (e.g., 80–100) photographic films are spliced to each other with splice tape that is thermocompression bonding tape and a resulting spliced film is supplied to a film developing apparatus continuously. A developed spliced film is taken up continuously on a reel so as to assume a roll shape (a film roll) Therefore, to load a spliced film that has been taken up in roll form into a film autoloader of the above kind, it is necessary to separate the individual photographic films sequentially from the spliced film and then load the separated photographic films into the film loading section by bundling those in layers.